UPDATE - Turkey's industrial capacity usage down in July

UPDATES WITH FIGURES FOR SECTORS AND INDUSTRIAL GROUPS

By Muhammed Ali Gurtas

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s manufacturing industry capacity utilization rate stood at 77.1 percent in July, the Turkish Central Bank announced on Monday.

The capacity utilization rate (CUR) saw a 1.2-percentage point monthly fall from 78.3 percent in June, according to the bank.

The bank stated that the CUR figures are based on the responses given to its business tendency survey by local units operating in the manufacturing industry.

It added that while some 2,100 companies responded to the survey in July, the monthly data does not reflect the bank’s views or predictions.

Among over 20 sectors, the highest capacity usage was seen in the manufacturing of wood and wood/cork products -- excluding furniture -- with 87.5 percent in July, while the lowest CUR was seen in the leather and related products sector, with 59.1 percent.

On the main industrial groups side, the highest CUR was 78.8 percent for intermediate goods, while the lowest capacity usage was 72 percent in food and beverages.

According to the survey, manufacturers of investment goods used 78.6 percent of their capacity this month while the CUR in consumer goods was 73 percent -- durable goods at 71.4 percent, and non-durable goods at 73.3 percent.

Last year, the average capacity usage in the manufacturing industry was 78.5 percent. Over the past five years, the highest CUR was seen last November with 79.9 percent, and the lowest was 73.5 percent in February 2013.